TABLE POULTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 74, 18 June 1927, Page 24

TABLE POULTRY

CORRECT METHODS HOW TO KILL BIRDS By GEO. H. AMBLER Unquestionably the best way to give “the happy despatch” to fowls intended for table purposes is by dislocation of the neck. But the novice who intends to adopt this method should get an expert poultryman to give him a demonstration or two. There is really nothing difficult in it —merely the knack; but some beginners make a bungle of it. The “modus operandi” is as follows; Take the bird by its legs in one hand (catching the extreme ends of its wing in the same hand to prevent the fowl fluttering), and grip its head with the other, your forefinger and thumb being around the bird’s neck and its head, therefore, covered by your hand, the back of the fowl being uppermost. The bird’s legs should be held against the hip of the operator, and its neck quickly and firmly extended, bending its head suddenly upward so that the neck is dislocated just below its junction with the head. Death immediately ensues. Another way to hold the bird, the dislocation being the same, is as follows: Place the fowl with its breast resting on your left hand, the head being in the right, with fingers well under the jaws. A toss out of the left hand, an instant downward stroke from the right, as one smacks a whip on horse- , back, generally produces a fatal “pop” i

on the first evolution. If not, the rotation must be continued, and the down stroke increased in severity. The wings could be tied, as their flapping neutralises the effort, and when tied the weight of the fowl helps the operator. The bird should be held by the feet a second or two, directly after the vertical column is broken, and the wings should be allowed free action, so as to permit the blood to drain to the head and neck. This is of great importance, since if the blood be not thoroughly drained from the body the flesh will present a dark appearance, which is unpleasant, and detracts from its value in the market. The blood is drained from the carcase, but the juiciness of the flesh is retained. This method of dislocation is the one most adopted in this country, and it is without doubt the cleanest and most humane. There is a knack in the pperation, but it is easily acquired. Too much strength is not needed, otherwise the head will come off in the operator’s hand. Such a thing will not occur, however, if the fingers be opened directly the neck “goes.” When the operation is properly performed the head and neck can- be felt more than an inch apart, everything but the skin being severed. HOW TO CARVE A FOWL Some skill is required in carving a •fowl so that the tit-bits may be distributed equally all round the table. To cut up a fowl or chicken, the carver starts operations by plunging the fork into the very* centre of the breastbone—and keeping it there. In this position very skilful carvers have been seen to cut all around and even under it, and finally to leave the bare skeleton of the bird intact on the dish. Of course, a second fork for serving is requisite if the carver adopts this stationary plan. With a turkey or fowl it is usual to remove the legs first; this is done by passing the knife between the thigh dnd the body, when the former can be forced back and the joint revealed. The knife, after an incision is made, is held horizontally, then, by bending the back downwards, the joints are exposed and with little trouble the limb can neatly be taken off. In removing the wing a part of the breast close to the rib should be cut away with it. After the cut has been made to the joint this limb should be bent otitward also and removed with the point of the knife slipped between the joint. After the legs and wings of the bird have been removed they may, if wished, be divided into two pieces, lengthwise, the joints being passed through with carving scissors. The next point of attack is the breast. This, as everyone knows, is the choicest part of the bird. It is begun below the middle and is cut in outward curving lines towards the neck. A piece of breast should be put on each plate. After these chief parts have been served some good portions can still be supplied by dividing (through the ribs) the breast from the backbone and cutting these again into lengths. Ducks are carved in much the same way as capons. The limbs of a duck are considered the primest, so they are removed first, as a rule. An opening can be made by cutting through the “apron” to get at the stuffing. Afterwards the breast is sliced, and the body cut in two. CHARCOAL AS A FOOD Experts agree that too much cannot be said in favour of the use of charcoal in raising and maintaining fowls of all ages. Charcoal purifies the blod and absorbs the noxious gases generated in the digestive organs and neutralises their effect. It should be used in the first food given to chickens, and be continued throughout the entire life of the birds. A small quantity should be mixed with the daily mash. About 51b of charcoal to every 4001 b of mash is a very good proportion. Besides this it is well to keep a two-compartment hopper of charcoal and oyster shell in the laying house, so that the hens may help themselves at will. For young chicks mix about a large teaspoonful of charcoal in a quart of mash. They will clean this

up with the rest of their food. Charcoal is one of the best regulators known to poultrymen, but like everything else, it must be used with discretion. For instance, if a large quantity is put in the mash the droppings will be hard and dry, and frequently will be streaked with blood. This condition, of cburse, is very injurious to the birds. Charcoal can be purchased from several of the poultry-food makers, and is ground in various sizes to meet the requirements of the chickens at various ages —the very fine for chicks and as coarse as grain for the grown fowls. SPROUTED OATS Sprouted oats is an excellent poultry food, as it is rich in protein, succulent, and is usually moderate in price. Furthermore, it is cheaper than wheat and may be used liberally in the ration. Sound oats are soaked in water overnight in a pail. The next morning shallow woden boxes or “flats” are filled to the depth of about two inches and put into the sprouting closet, or a place where there is no fear of frost reaching The oats should be kept quite wet. The aim here is to keep condensed moisture standing on the glass doors which form the front of the closet at all times. In order to do this it is found necessary to wet the oats three times a day. This is done with an ordinary greenhouse sprinkling-can with very little expenditure of time and labour. As the oats grow the “flats” are moved to different positions in the closet. The taller the green material gets the nearer the “flats” are moved toward the floor, because the growing grain then needs less heat. This procedure leaves the desirable places in the closet for the grain just beginning to sprout, where high temperature is needed. But if the “flats” are simply placed in a fairly warm room they should be sprinkled with warm water until they commence to show green shoots, and then watered occasionally until used. The oats may be given when they show a sprout before it turns green, or when they are from four inches to six inches in height.

Short daj-s and long nights are not conducive to rapid egg production: nevertheless, with good housing and good feeding we ought to be averaging five eggs per bird per week from the best of the pullets.